South African cricketers Kagiso Rabada (right) and Heinrich Klaasen excelled in the 2026 IPL, with Rabada leading as the top wicket-taker and Klaasen achieving a historic 624 runs as the first player to score over 600 runs at number four or lower. ChatGPT / IOL
South Africans were some of the top performers in the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL), which drew to a close on Sunday, led by the exploits of Kagiso Rabada and Heinrich Klaasen.
With the ball, Gujarat Titans’ Rabada finished as the top wicket-taker with 29 strikes— one ahead of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
The last time Rabada took over 11 wickets in an entire IPL season was back in the 2022 edition while still playing for Punjab Kings. Of course, his 2025 debut season for GT was marred by his doping suspension for recreational drug use.
In 2026 though, Rabada was back to his best, and his consistency across the season saw him finish top of the pile to win the Purple Cap.
